A month or so ago, I was hiking with my friend Beth on a trail near Norris Dam to gather bittersweet for use in making wreaths. Beth is a great naturalist and pointed out something high up in the trees … Read the rest

Narrow Ridge is an off-the-grid community near here — in Washburn TN. Their Narrow Ridge website stresses other things (ex. rural land conservation, sustainability, etc.) , but this is what stands out most in my mind.

Last week, I attended the kick-off meeting of the new Sharps Chapel Neighborhood Watch (5th District), chaired by Union County Sheriff Billy Breeding and five of his deputies. The police support was most impressive, as was the community support in … Read the rest

We have a cat. We have not had a pet for 45 years (yes I know that makes us a minority life form on the planet we call Earth), so because this is such a rare occurrence, please bear with … Read the rest

Remember when I wrote about the thrill of surprises… well, imagine my surprise when Jim and I were hiking in Chuck Swan a few days ago and happened upon a cluster of Pink Lady’s Slipper Orchids! They were right … Read the rest